Dragon's Lair Fans - Arcade Lifestyle

General Chat => Arcade Lifestyle => Topic started by: baritonomarchetto on December 25, 2009, 11:50:20 AM

Title: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: baritonomarchetto on December 25, 2009, 11:50:20 AM
Hi all,

as recently stated with the topic "an arcade quiz", i am the proud owner of an Atari badlands cab. Now the machine is in my house, then here some photo of the "beast" and some additional  ;D

Ok, the trip was planned for saturday the 19th of dicember, but adverse meteo conditions made me quit the idea  :'(

(http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/9580/sam0036slim.jpg)

Fortunately, i was able to reschedule the (veeeery short) trip for the 24th of december in the morning. It was a rainy day when my bottom sit in the station wagon my fried gave me...  :'(  anyhow, after 10 minutes it stopped... pfiu!

I didn't made photoes of the trip because there was a lot of fog, and in addition i was scared by the possibility that the machine could not fit into the car i was using.... but my prayes where listen to (by the god of metal!)

(http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/373/sam0044slim.jpg)

i had to use some trick in order to let the machine enter the car

(http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/7338/sam0048slim.jpg)

Very slowly, but inesorably, the amusement machine arrived in my city and is now in a hospitable room  :D

the whole "thing"
(http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/5958/sam0062slim.jpg)

One side

(http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/7050/sam0064slim.jpg)

The other side

(http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/6251/sam0063slim.jpg)

Let check the identity of this machine

(http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/191/sam0066slim.jpg)

As you can see, the machine is really good aestetics conditions (internally and externally)  but it doesnt work, and now let see how to repair it.

First of all, i inspected the powers: the monitor (a Wells Gardner 19k7901) is black, and makes no noise. Considering that 130V ac arrives, maibe it doesn't receive a video signal, then it doesnt start. The controls are ok. The PCB receive the voltages needeed (i checked the alimentation) and a coulple of red lights are turned on. There's a third light that doesn't turn on and i dont know if it could be a signal of malfunctioning...

Shouldnt the orange circled light turn on when the PCB is on?
(http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/2987/sam0061slimcopy.jpg)

So, i thought that the problem was the PCB. I made the additional test to see if the problem was the montor or the PCB: when everithing is on, if i give a credit i should hear some sound (even if the monitor is black): yes, the sound is there so the problem lies in the monitor
any help would be appreciated to face the problem an let this machine work like in the 90's  :wink:

Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: Superully on December 25, 2009, 12:13:57 PM
nice score, reminds me of championship sprint ;) may i ask how much you paid for the game?

is that your first dedicated machine?
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: petieken on December 25, 2009, 01:07:57 PM
Congrats on the buy! The cab appears to be in good shape :)
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: Muerto on December 25, 2009, 01:08:56 PM
nice catch! - looks beautiful!
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: baritonomarchetto on December 25, 2009, 04:17:48 PM
Yes, this is my first dedicated cab. For the price, it's a "secret", Nuno docet  ;D

On the restore side, i can state that the PCB is working: it was sufficient to remove and reinstall the jamma connector. Than, the problem must lie in the connections or the monitor itself... do someone have the manual for the Wells Gardner 19k7901?
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: petieken on December 25, 2009, 04:23:32 PM
do someone have the manual for the Wells Gardner 19k7901?

You can download it here: http://www.mikesarcade.com/arcade/monitors.html

*EDIT: Hmmm, the links don't seem to work anymore....
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: DarthNuno on December 25, 2009, 04:38:38 PM
Nice catch Baritonomarchetto   :)

...and doing a road trip the 24rd of December... sounds like a special Christmas story, well done  ;)

 :spaceace:
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: baritonomarchetto on December 25, 2009, 04:49:56 PM
Thank you all  :)

i found the manual, for future reference

http://www.antelopearcade.com/monitors/Atari%20Monitor%20TM-296%201st%20Printing%20WG%2019k7901%2019in%20Color%20Raster.pdf
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: baritonomarchetto on December 26, 2009, 01:06:19 PM
The restoration proceeds (i am at home in this days, so...), i have removed the monitor just to give it some visual check and remove some dust

(http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/2711/sam0070slim.th.jpg) (http://img36.imageshack.us/i/sam0070slim.jpg/)

Everithing looks ok, with the exception of the fuse wich is ... fused  ;D
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: baritonomarchetto on December 29, 2009, 06:02:15 PM
Some new: googling i found out that changing the Q11 transistor (Horizontal Output Transistor) could be resolutive for my problem. Firstly it was (the fuse did not fuse anymore) but i had arcs in the Flyback transformer.

After the arc, the HOT was blown again, so, probably, the starting problem was the arching...

Now, what do you suggest to do, considering that a new Flyback transformer probably is not possible to find out? I do have an Hantarex working electronic: could it be used on the original Wells Gardner Philips tube ?  :ghost:
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: petieken on December 29, 2009, 06:30:57 PM
"trasformatore di riga" would be the flyback....i think.... :)

I started a thread about flybacks a few days ago: https://www.dragonslairfans.com/smfor/index.php?topic=1214.0

I asked a question about the spanish company 'HR Diemen' and apparently it's a well known company. I have 2 Wells Gardner K7201 chassis and I found a replacement for mine. There is probably a replacement available for your chassis too.
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: baritonomarchetto on December 30, 2009, 09:52:07 AM
Yes, trasformatore di riga = flyback trasformer(i modified my post while you where replying man)

Thanks for the link  :)
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: baritonomarchetto on January 01, 2010, 12:53:29 PM
It looks like the bad luck was waiting for my first dedicated cab: i made some photoes to Bob Roberts and he told me that there are no spare parts for my 19k7901 "special" short-lived Zenith version...  :'(

He suggested me to buy another K7000 chassis... do someone here have one for me  :-[? I am suffering for my cabinet...
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: baritonomarchetto on July 01, 2010, 06:19:41 PM
Hey, 6 month have passed and still no news? Ok, the cabinet is now perfectly working... i know i know: without pics it never happend  ;)

The first one is a pic taken with flash on

(http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/373/sam0192slim.jpg)

The next one has no flash... WOW!

(http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/3872/sam0197slim.jpg)

the camera modify a little the image wich is much brilliant than it looks here  ;D
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: DarthNuno on July 01, 2010, 06:27:22 PM
It's alive now! Very nice.

Because it works fine now, I vote for a youtube video  ::) :P ;D
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: baritonomarchetto on July 01, 2010, 06:32:05 PM
Bruno, you are insatiable!  ;D

PS: surely this info can be of great use for those european dealing with Wells Gardner Monitors and spares: i mounted a 14 inches Hantarex Polo 3 mini-neck chassis and works like a charm
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: Superully on July 01, 2010, 08:07:28 PM
Hey, 6 month have passed and still no news? Ok, the cabinet is now perfectly working...

cool that you got it working - congrats! looking extremely nice! what did you have to do to get it going?
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: baritonomarchetto on July 02, 2010, 09:36:40 AM
The chassis was a "very rare and with no spares" Zenith-Wells Gardner, so, after some month of trial and error i had to completely remove the old one and put another chassis.

Now, if nothing goes wrong,  comes the Joust (i should pick it up today)
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: kroustibat on July 02, 2010, 04:06:09 PM
congrats :) nice cabinet , i remember playing this game a lot on my c64 , enjoy playing the game while waiting for the joust ;)
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: level42 on July 24, 2010, 05:25:19 PM
Yes, would be cool to see a video of the cab (inside out and game playing) :D

How do you like it so far ? I guess it's a pretty good 2 player game right ?

The funny thing is that Badlands has a low-res monitor, while the previous similar games (like Championship sprint etc.) had med-res monitors. At least that makes it a lot easier to service now !
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: baritonomarchetto on July 26, 2010, 10:09:05 AM
Yes, would be cool to see a video of the cab (inside out and game playing) :D

I will make the video the next week when at home ;). I will not show the back of the machine because the room it is stored is soo little... and the "in-progress joust" occupy a lot of space in this moment

How do you like it so far ? I guess it's a pretty good 2 player game right ?

It's an excellent game, especially played with a friend: with some alliance you can loop-play and have a lot of fun... and without alliance you can have more fun  :twisted:

The funny thing is that Badlands has a low-res monitor, while the previous similar games (like Championship sprint etc.) had med-res monitors. At least that makes it a lot easier to service now !

It's the main advantage, in terms of service. In addition, if i remember well championship sprint is not jamma, badlands is instead "almost" jamma
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: baritonomarchetto on August 01, 2010, 01:08:40 PM
Here we are, a gameplay-video for the atari Bad Lands  :arrow:

 :arrow:  click here  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HNY22qUkgU)

Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: level42 on August 01, 2010, 01:41:42 PM
Great thanks ! Wow the cars are very fast on this one, looks faster than the Sprint series of games ?
Not sure really.

It's funny to see that this game basically is still the same old Sprint game from the late 70's with some extra bells and whistles, but in essence nothing really changed and it is still fun because of it's a good simple game idea. I'd trade in my Powere Drift for this for sure, mainly because it's an Atari cab AND the head-to-head play is always good fun with racing games....
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: Belike on August 01, 2010, 02:21:27 PM
This game rocks! ;D
Title: Re: Atari Badlands: trip and restoration
Post by: baritonomarchetto on August 01, 2010, 05:53:34 PM
Not sure if cars are faster on badlands with respect to, i.e., championship sprint... anyhow, we (me and my brother) had almost full speed in the very moment of the video (you start the game with slower cars)